ARRESTING PUTIN IN SOUTH AFRICA WOULD BE ‘DECLARATION OF WAR’, SAYS RAMAPHOSA

Tue 18 July 2023:

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has asked permission from the International Criminal Court (ICC) not to arrest Russia’s Vladimir Putin, because to do so would amount to a declaration of war.

Ramaphosa made the remarks in a legal response to a court case brought by the opposition Democratic Alliance to compel the government to arrest Putin should he set foot on South African soil. Ramaphosa’s response, which was filed on June 27th, was made public on Tuesday.

“South Africa has obvious problems with executing a request to arrest and surrender President Putin,” his affadavit stated. “Russia has made it clear that arresting its sitting President would be a declaration of war.”

Putin has been invited to South Africa in August, when the country hosts a summit for members of the Brics countries – an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. This bloc of fast-growing economies is seen by some as an alternative to the G7 group of advanced economies.

South Africa’s biggest opposition party, Democratic Alliance, has gone to court to try to force the authorities to carry out an arrest on Putin should he set foot in the country.

But the ICC has an arrest warrant out for Putin, accusing him of the war crime of deporting Ukrainian children to Russia. South Africa, as an ICC member, is obliged to arrest him should he turn up for the summit.

President Ramaphosa added that South Africa is one of several African nations holding talks with Russia and Ukraine “with a view of ending the war altogether”, and that attempting to arrest Mr Putin would be counter-productive.

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African Union expresses ‘regret’ over Russia’s grain deal exit

The African Union has expressed “regret” over Russia’s decision to suspend a deal allowing safe passage for grain cargo ships from Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

“I regret the suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative for which the African Union had been an early advocate,” AU Commission chair Moussa Faki Mahamat said on his official Twitter account.

I regret the suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative for which the @_AfricanUnion had been an early advocate.I urge parties to resolve any issues to resume the continued safe passage of grains&fertiliser from #Ukraine & #Russia to where it is needed, particularly in Africa.

— Moussa Faki Mahamat (@AUC_MoussaFaki) July 18, 2023